


Collapse

by WayWardWonderer



Category: Ghostbusters (Movies 1984-1989), The Real Ghostbusters
Genre: Bonding, Childhood, Friendship, Gen, Hurt, Pain, Past, Secrets, Trapped, Trauma, haunted, injured, mine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-12
Updated: 2018-02-12
Packaged: 2019-03-17 10:41:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13657332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WayWardWonderer/pseuds/WayWardWonderer
Summary: When Dr. Peter Venkman and Dr. Egon Spengler explore a possibly haunted mine the two men become trapped in a cave in. While Peter and Egon struggle to survive the two men end up discuss their pasts while waiting for rescue. On the outside it's up to Dr. Ray Stantz and Winston Zeddemore to find their friends and get them to safety.





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A routine sweep of the outskirts of town had lead two of the Ghostbusters, Dr. Peter Venkman and Dr. Egon Spengler, to an isolated locale out into the depths of the forests that resided outside of the city. Dr. Ray Stantz and Winston Zeddemore remained at the firehouse in the event of a call which gave Peter and Egon more freedom to perform a thorough investigation while chronicling the naturally occurring psychokinetic energy within their jurisdiction.

Peter sighed inattentively as he drove the back-up vehicle known as Ecto-2, a white pick-up truck, detailed with the 'no-ghost' logo, emergency light bars and sirens, came with a large cab and bed for hauling equipment. The truck's headlights shone through the treeline as the two scientists tracked and recorded every paranormal reading an anomaly.

"Can we head back yet?" Peter asked as drove along the dirt trails through the forest. "This is so boring..."

"Soon Peter." Egon had a PKE meter in his hands and was directing Peter through the trails. An interesting reading had appeared on the meter's display and was too tempting to resist. "As soon as we finish examining this new reading. It shows a powerful residual energy that could-"

Peter dramatically let out a deep, sleepy yawn to rudely interrupt Egon. "Fascinating Spengz. It really is."

Egon gave Peter a disapproving glare but didn't remark on the unkempt behavior. It was to be expected for the abrasive psychologist to make an unprofessional statement or show no interest in the work at hand when a pretty young woman wasn't directly involved.

"Turn right here." Egon directed as he held the meter up toward his window and the reading intensified. "It's only a few yards away."

"Friend or foe?" Peter asked in a tired tone as he turned down the correct path.

"Unknown."

"Okay... How about animal, vegetable or mineral?"

"Once again," Egon repeated as his eyes stayed transfixed on the meter's display. "unknown."

"And you call yourself a scientist." Peter quipped as the headlights of the truck illuminated what appeared to be a rocky hillside jutting upward from the ground. "Dead end."

"Not quite." Egon set the PKE meter down on the dashboard as he pulled a powerful flashlight from the storage cabinet behind their seats. Turning on the light he rolled down his window and shined the beam along the ground toward the hill and located a boarded up entrance. "This is an abandoned mine."

"And I'm sure it was abandoned for a good reason." Peter sharply stated. "We're not going in there."

"The sought resources had been evidently harvested in their entirety." Egon retorted quickly." And yes, we are."

"No way Spengz! Haunted houses, creepy hotels, abandoned hospitals, spooky museums, ancient crypts and decrepit asylums are one thing; but putting me underground in a haunted mine shaft is where I draw the line!"

"Claustrophobia?"

"No!" Peter's face turned a little red as he turned away from Egon and stared at the trees outside the truck. "I just don't like being underground. There might be animals in there... Like bats."

"It'll only take a moment." Egon opened his door to the truck as he picked up the PKE meter. "We just need to confirm that the mine is the source of the PKE signature."

"Can't you figure that out from here?"

"Unfortunately no. The meter confirms the source is in this general vicinity but until I can find the direct origin point of the source I can't map our jurisdiction properly."

"...Fine." Peter all but pouted as he finally agreed to explore the mine. "But if I see one bat you're on your own, pal!"

"Very well." Egon wasn't all fazed by the idea of potentially exploring a haunted mine alone. "The sooner we document the mine the sooner we can leave."

"Why didn't you say so?" Peter asked as he climbed out of the truck.

Egon gave his friend an annoyed stare. "In a previous statement had said just as-"

"Yeah, yeah. Come on..." Peter insisted bitterly as he approached the boarded up entrance of the mind. "Let's get this done."

Using the flashlight to guide their way Egon aimed the beam at the four aged, worn and decaying wooden boards the barred the entrance to the mine. Decades, if not a full century of neglect had left the boards vulnerable to weather, time and the local fauna. The nails that had once been sharp and shiny were now rusted, loose and threatening to fall away and let the boards crash to the forest floor at any second. Warping of the boards had created large enough gaps for the two men to peer through and look inside at the entrance of the mine.

As the flashlight beam swept over the dark cavern a single drop of water fell from the crumbling ceiling dripped onto the rocky floor audibly.

"Charming..." Peter critiqued as gazed inside. "Dark. Damp. Cold. Reminds me of home."

"Funny." Egon sat the flashlight down on the ground and took hold of a central board with hands in a firm grip. "Help me pull these boards down."

"Does this count as breaking and entering?"

"No." Egon pried the end of the first board loose and moved his hands to the opposite end. "This is trespassing."

"Oh, well," Peter grabbed onto the board and aided Egon in removing it entirely. "at least we have a proper term for our crime." Dropping the first pried open board to the side of the entrance he grabbed onto the second board. "I'm sure the police will appreciate it, too."

Steadily the two Ghostbusters worked together to pry loose the remaining three boards until all of the rotten, moldy, insect bitten boards were piled together near the entrance. With the entryway now clear the two men were able to take their first steps inside the long abandoned tunnel and breathe in the chilly, murky air.

Peter took in a deep breath and coughed as the cool air stung his lungs and nostrils. "Is this the famous 'fresh air' that the nature lovers are always talking about?"

Egon picked up the flashlight and powered up the PKE meter once more. "We should be able to get an accurate reading within a few yards."

"Good. Hate to have to walk the entire mine with the other guys, such a waste of magnificent scenery."

Focusing on the glowing display of the meter Egon took the lead and used the flashlight to illuminate the ground to ensure he didn't trip over any loose stones, fallen boards or accidentally step into any ankle-snapping divots caused by erosion.

Bits of loose earth rained down from the ceiling. The wooden beams that once buttressed the walls and ceiling were just as aged, worn and warped as the exterior boards that blocked the entrance.

An interesting reading on the meter led Egon into the depths of the mine and grew stronger with each step. The source of the psychokinetic energy was several yards into the main tunnel and seemed to localize at a massive circular chamber that branched off into five additional paths.

"Curious." Egon stooped down and held the meter over a large crater in the center of the chamber. His voice echoed within the chamber and trailed down the tunnels in all directions. "The energy seems to be originating from this point."

"And why is that curious?" Peter asked as earth fell down and rested in his hair hair. Running his hands through his locks he brushed the earth particles out and he looked up at the eroding ceiling with mild concern.

"Usually psychokinetic energy manifest points revolve around densely populated locations or site of intense supernatural activity."

"Uh-huh..." Peter feigned interest as he stared at the ceiling as the earth continued to rain down and dust over his hair and shoulders.

"For such a potent source to reside in an abandoned location without a history of supernatural rituals or tradition. Perhaps the mine wasn't truly abandoned from a lack of resources. Perhaps it was abandoned because-"

A massive piece of the ceiling came loose and crashed down on the ground a few feet behind Peter.

"We should discuss this outside!" Peter insisted as he grabbed onto Egon's arm and yanked him up to his feet.

"I concur!" Egon didn't resist the gesture as he and Peter made a run for the entrance.

The ceiling began to crumble further as a massive crack snaked along the tunnel walls and the ceiling, quickly gain speed and surpassing the two fleeing men with a devastating 'snap'!

Peter skidded to a stop a massive beam broke free of the rusted hinges that held it on its supports near the ceiling. "Look out!"

Egon stopped fast and held up an arm over his eyes as a massive dust cloud erupted from the disturbed soil.

"We need to-" Egon paused midsentence as a second beam supporting the ceiling, positioned directly overhead, broke free and fell with a powerful blow. The beam collided with Egon's chest and shoulders knocking the physicist to the ground before snapping free and crushing down on his right leg.

"Egon!" Peter called out hearing the commotion and barely seeing it through the dust cloud. "Where are you?!" Falling to his hands and knees Peter crawled along the ground and felt for Egon, finding his leg pinned beneath the heavy beam. "Egon!"

Motionless on the tunnel floor Egon was silent as the mine continued to collapse all around him.

Peter crawled over the beam and leaned his ear down near Egon's chest to listen for a heartbeat then moved closer to his face to feel for any breaths against his skin.

"You're still with me, good..." Peter looked to the ceiling as a massive chunk of earth fell freely and threatened to bury Egon and himself alive. Positioning himself protectively over Egon's chest and face, using his arms to brace himself against the impact, Peter made a quick decision. "Come on pal, we need to get out of here!"

Peter rested back on his heels, dirt and rocks falling from his back and shoulders as he put his hands under the heavy beam and attempted to lift it from Egon's leg.

"It's gotta... budge!" Peter persisted as he futilely struggled against the heavy lumber.

A second cave-in caught Peter off guard! A support beam from the tunnel wall behind him fell loose and smashed harshly into his back between his shoulders. As he gasped for his escaped breath he leaned back further and sat on the floor of the tunnel fighting to breathe in all the dust and enclosed space. The opposite beam gave way soon after and smashed down onto Peter's left shoulder, pinning him down where he sat, helpless to push the cumbersome obstruction aside with only one free arm.

"Sp-Spengz?!" Peter called out in a desperate hacking breath. "Spengler!"

No response.

The mine was quiet as the collapse ended, the dust settled and all motion ceased. The only sound was Peter's pained panting breaths as he sat trapped on the floor of the mine tunnel, unable to free himself or to help his downed friend.

* * *

 

Dr. Ray Stantz wiped the black engine grease from his hands onto a worn out red rag as he and Winston Zeddemore finished tuning the engine of their main vehicle, the Ecto-1. With the city being quiet and remaining undisturbed by potential paranormal threats the two men had plenty of time to take care of the car and catch up on their ever growing stack of paperwork.

The once pristine white t-shirts that the two men wore were now irreparably stained with oil, grease and sweat. Their worn out blue jeans didn't fair any better in the aftermath of their hard work and skills as amateur mechanics.

Winston slammed down the hood of the hearse and took a step back. "Done. When Peter and Egon get back with the truck I'll change the oil in that one, too."

Ray tossed the dirty rag aside and looked down at his wristwatch noting the time. "It's getting kinda' late. Wonder where they are?"

"If I had to guess," Winston stretched out his tired shoulders as he walked over the ragged couch set up against the wall in the garage. "I'd say Peter is complaining about being out in the forest and dragging his feet, and Egon is collecting more mold samples for his collection." He plopped down on the aged sofa and relaxed.

"Why'd we send them out there again?" Ray asked with a slight chuckle in his voice. Egon and Peter weren't the type of people to jump at the chance to leave the safety of the lab, let alone leave the city. "You and I are the only ones with any form of wilderness experience."

"I think it was Egon who volunteered to go so he could accurately map out our jurisdiction, and Peter went along so he didn't have to worry about paperwork if we got called out on a bust."

"That's right." Ray joined Winston at the couch and kicked up his boots, resting them on a worn out wooden crate that held old car parts. "We're the lucky ones who get to play mechanic all night while they're out checking new haunts. No pun intended!"

"Yeah. But you love working on Ecto-1."

"I do." Ray agreed with a somehow nostalgic lilt. "She's really unique."

Janine Meltnitz, the fiery and loyal receptionist to the Ghostbusters let out a sleep yawn as she crossed through the garage and gave a slight wave to the two men resting on the ragged couch. "Goodnight fellas', I'll be back in the morning."

"Goodnight Janine." Ray closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the worn out cushion of the couch. "See you tomorrow."

Winston crossed his arms and let himself sink down into the well worn cushions as Janine strolled casually through the garage and took her leave of the night. "Want to see if we can get some takeout ordered?"

"Nah. Not really hungry."

"Well, I'm not going to crash until Egon and Peter get back. Want to see if there's anything good on the late night movie channel?"

"Sure. Maybe they'll do another monster marathon. Those are always... weird."

Leaning forward on the couch Winston ran his tired hands over his face. "I think I'll get on the radio and make contact with the guys. An E.T.A. would be nice."

"Good idea." Ray didn't move from his spot on the unexpectedly comfortable couch. "They might even be a couple of blocks away as far as we know."

Winston walked over to Janine's now vacated desk and pulled the mic from the radio that connected the firehouse to Ecto-1 and Ecto-2 and turned the radio to the correct channel. "Hey guys, can you hear me?"

There was no reply from the other end of the line, not even a static filled garbed response.

"Come on guys, can you hear me? Hello?"

Winston's voice sounded off with no acknowledgement inside the cab of the truck as it sat idle in the forest just a few yards from the collapsed mine where Peter and Egon were trapped within.

His instincts as a marine and a protector kicked in. Winston hung up the mic and looked over to Ray. "Something's wrong."

"Radio busted?"

"No. I mean there's something wrong with the guys. Something happened."

"What?" Ray's shot open wide as he turned to stare at Winston. "What happened?"

"Not sure. But we need to go and find them."

"How do we do that? The forest is pretty big and they've been out there for hours."

Winston pulled open the top right desk drawer and retrieved a small black case. Inside the case was a little radio transceiver and storage compartments for four individual tracking chips. Two of the chips remained in the case while the other two had been removed; one tracking chip had been installed inside Ecto-1 and the second had been installed inside Ecto-2.

"Tracking device." Winston stated as he turned on the transceiver and changed the frequency to tune into the location of Ecto-2. The transceiver honed in on the current location of the truck and remained static in place. "Well, we found the truck but it's not moving..."

"Maybe they've parked and are out exploring the forest?"

"Maybe." Winston shook his head and pulled the keys to Ecto-1 out of his pocket. "Maybe the truck broke down."

"Or..." Ray felt a knot tighten in his stomach. "Something else happened."

Without a word Winston walked over to Ecto-1 and took his place behind the steering wheel. Ray quickly joined his friend in the front passenger seat as the hearse roared to life and left the garage behind.

"I'll keep trying the radio." Ray decided as he took the mic off the support and tuned into Ecto-2's channel.

"Yeah, and let me know if their position changes." He handed the transceiver to Ray who took it with his hand opposite of the mic." Looks like they're about twenty miles away..."

* * *

Peter coughed weakly as he struggled to push the heavy broken beams from his shoulder and free himself from the fallen debris. His strength was fading quickly as both the physical strain exhausted him and the stagnant air made it increasingly difficult to catch his breath. Taking a moment to rest he leaned his head back against the cold stone and dirt wall of the tunnel and let out a deeply pained sigh, only to choke and cough on the dusty air again.

A subtle groan of pain caught Peter's attention as Egon was regaining consciousness on the floor of the tunnel a few inches from where he sat.

"Egon? You with me buddy?"

A second groan was followed by a grunt of shocked pain. Small bits of stone and wooden splintered stirred as Egon forced himself to slowly sit upright, using his arms to push up his entire upper body and rested on his elbows. "...Peter?"

"Yeah, it's me! Glad you're awake."

"...The mine." The haze was clearing from his mind as he fully regained consciousness. "It collapsed." He let out another grunt of pain as he tried and failed to move his pinned leg and discovered in the most unfortunate way that the bones were undeniably broken. "Are- Are you hurt?" He stammered through his pain to check on his friend. "Where are you? I-I lost the light."

"Right here." Peter moved a rock along the ground with his boot until it pressed lightly against Egon's free leg. "I'm right beside you."

"Are you injured?" Egon asked as he slowly ran his hands up his leg and stopped as soon as he felt the pain radiating from the broken bones.

"No, just trapped." Peter could barely see Egon in the darkness or see his faint silhouette amongst the broken, jagged bits of timber and large pieces of fallen earth. "How's your leg?"

"Broken." Egon confirmed as he put the palms of hands against the large, heavy chuck of lumber. "And I cannot free my leg."

"Guess we're stuck together, huh pal?"

"It would appear that way, yes." Egon sounded as vapidly disappointed as Peter. "How long was I unconscious?"

"About ten minutes." Peter stated calmly. "Have a headache?"

"Thanks my broken tibia and fibula the pain in my skull has been greatly diminished."

"Can you move your leg at all?"

"No." Egon tried to move his foot and fortunately the appendage responded. As did his toes which meant that the blood flow to his leg hadn't been cut off by the fallen beam. "But if I can wrest my leg free I can move closer to your position."

"Don't try." Peter urged sharply. "We can't see anything. How do we know that the beam on your leg isn't balancing something else that's keeping the rest of the mine from collapsing down on us?"

"Excellent question." Egon reluctantly stayed in place and gave up on the idea of pulling his leg free of the beam. "Can you make it to the exit?"

"I'm stuck too." Peter put his hand on the large beam that had pinned him down at his shoulder. "And even if I could get out of here I wouldn't leave you behind."

"That's comforting." Egon shuddered slightly as an uncomfortable chill ran up his spine. "If we're to get out of this mine alive then we must hope that a rescue party has been dispatched or a wandering hunter happens by."

"What're the odds of some guy just finding us?"

"I could give you the exact numerical estimation," Egon wrapped his arms around his chest in an attempt to stave off the creeping cold of the mine. "but I think you'd prefer not to know."

"Yup. You know me so well, Spengz." Peter's sarcastic retort was as bitter as it was irritated.

"Peter?" Egon was far more empathetic than he let on, especially with his friends. He could sense that there was something weighing heavily on Peter's mind. "Are you alright?"

"Fine." He almost snapped. "Trapped in an abandoned mine in the middle of nowhere with no one around for miles. What could be better."

"That's not to what I was referring." Egon defended without sounding defensive. "Are you injured and denying it for my sake?"

"What? No." His answer was sincere. The last thing he wanted to do was make Egon worry, but he wouldn't lie about being injured knowing that Egon was one of the few people he trusted to help him in a time of need. "Just... thinking. That's all."

"About what?" Egon pressed out of curiosity. It wasn't often that Peter would open up and discuss the burdens he constantly insisted on bearing himself.

"...The past."

"Oh. I see." The past was a delicate subject. One that Egon, Ray and Winston all knew to never drudge up. "I'll leave you to your thoughts."

Peter arched an eyebrow at the comment. Had he really developed such a steeled, walled off exterior that even his friends no longer tried to engage him in conversation? The thought of his abrasiveness pushing his friends away was humbling enough for Peter to set aside his fiercely independent, arrogant nature and to reach out to his friend.

After all, if the mine had a second collapse then neither of them would survive. Why hold back? Why not share your deepest secrets with the one person you trust the most while there was still time?

"Egon..." Peter began slowly. His words halted as he had to mentally convince himself that it was okay to talk. "earlier tonight, did you wonder why I'm afraid of bats and hate dark places?"

The tone of Peter's voice was heavy with sorrow as the emotionally stunted psychologist sat in the darkness of the collapsed mine just a few feet from his friend. It seemed the weight of his voice was just as heavy as the fallen beams that had the two men trapped and defenseless inside the cavernous ruins of the long abandoned mine.

It took a moment before Egon decided to respond to the odd question. "I merely assumed that your chiroptophobia and nyctophobia were the result of childhood trauma, as it the most common manifestation of the two phobias." Egon paused as he waited for Peter to respond but his friend remained uncharacteristically quiet. "But now I believe it is save to assume that your phobias have a much deeper root beyond commonplace childhood experiences."

"Yeah, you assume right." Peter admitted in a low voice. "You, uh, you know how when I was a kid I lost my mom, right?"

"Yes." Egon confirmed in a soft, sympathetic tone. "You're mother was very ill when you were young and unfortunately her illness took her life."

"Yeah. Well after that it was just me and my da-" Peter abruptly paused and corrected his term of choice. "me and my _father_ from then on."

Egon knew that Peter and his father, a professional conman and unreliable deadbeat, had a strained relationship. Although Peter had for some unknown reason refused to give up on his father entirely, the emotional drain it took on Peter was pushing him to his limits.

"My father was always trying to make a quick buck and was always focused on the next scheme." Peter began to timidly open up about his childhood, a time in his life that he rarely ever acknowledged. "For the first three years after mom died I spent my days at school and my nights alone in the apartment. If I did see him he was either talking 'business' with a shift partner or going to bed at four in the morning. The only time I had clean clothes is when I washed them myself or if my friends' moms helped me out. Same with food. At school I always made sure to get a really big lunch since I never had breakfast and rarely had dinner. It was tough and I was alone. A lot."

Though Egon shielded his natural empathy well out of a sense of self dignity he found himself not caring if anyone could see him tearing up and sympathizing with his friend. "I can only imagine what it would be like to grow up without a mother's care. I imagine it to be quite unpleasant."

"You imagine correctly," Peter answered dryly. "as usual."

"I do not understand what these bleak moments in your past have to do with your current phobias."

Peter scoffed a little before continuing. "Do you really want to know?"

"Yes." Egon nodded unseen in the darkness. "I do."

* * *

Ecto-1 reached the edge of the city at a quick speed. The bright city lights began to dull as the distance began to drain the illumination from the unnatural light and steadily gave way to the natural starlight that rarely broke through the skyline over the massive city.

"Anything change?" Winston asked as he and Ray left the city limits and steadily encroached on the forest still several miles away.

"No, the tracking device is resting at the coordinates."

Winston shook his head lightly. "Let's just hope they aren't too far from the truck. I'd hate to think-"

"Then don't!" Ray urged impatiently as he stared at the transceiver in his hand. "We can't let anything cloud or affect our judgment."

"Yeah, you're right." Winston agreed as he focused on the road that stretched out ahead of him. "Let's just find the truck and work from there."

* * *

Peter coughed a little as the dust in the air began to dry out his throat. Egon was fighting to stave off the extreme cold that was beginning seep through his skin and chill him to the bone.

"Well, one night when I was about twelve years old I was studying in my bedroom when my door was kicked open and my father grabbed onto my arm," Peter resumed his sad tale as he choked to speak through the uncomfortably dry air. "I was dragged out of the apartment and thrown into the backseat of our crappy car as my father took off like he was being shot at!"

"Your father had tried to scam the wrong person, hadn't he?"

Peter sighed remorsefully. "We drove to the Canadian border and kept driving until dawn. My father only stopped after he found a camp site that had been abandoned for the winter." Peter suddenly let out a groan of discomfort as a sharp pain shot through his shoulder and down his arm.

"Peter?" Egon could hear the pain and reacted accordingly. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing..." He lied quickly. "My shoulder's sore and my arm's falling asleep. I'm fine."

Egon doubted Peter's claim but didn't press it. Even if Peter did admit to being in pain or suffering from a more severe injury there wasn't anything either man could do until they were freed from the mine.

"Anyway," Peter forced himself to continue his story. "my father took me to a large cabin and told me to wait there until he came back for me. He drove off and I had no idea where he went or why I was left behind."

From the mournful tone Peter had taken Egon knew where Peter's story was going.

"I waited in that cabin all day and all night waiting for my father to come back. I ended up falling asleep on one of the empty bed frames in the cabin, shivering and hungry, until car headlights woke me up. I crept over to the window and looked outside and saw a second car pull up behind the first. Four men I didn't recognize got out of the car and I could tell that they were all looking for someone."

"They were looking for you?"

"No, they weren't looking for me. They were looking for my father."

"Oh."

"Like I said, I didn't recognize them but I knew they were mad. So I snuck out of the cabin and ran into the woods just outside the camp site. I didn't know where I was going or what I was going to do if I had been seen, but being the scared kid I was I just knew I needed to keep running and try to hide."

Egon's eyes lit up as he realized why Peter was traumatized by this childhood event. "You hid inside a cave, didn't you?"

Peter was silent for only a moment before replying. "Yeah. I had no choice. I couldn't stay out in the snow and risk being seen, so I ducked inside a narrow and cold cave."

"How long were you there?"

"All night." Peter winced as he tried to push the heavy lumber from his aching shoulder to try and relieve some of the pain, but the lumber refused to budge. "It was the coldest, darkest night of my life. You know, except for the night my mom died. I spent the whole night hiding in the blackest, darkest place I had ever seen. I was afraid, alone, no one knew where I was or that I was even out there in the forest and I had no idea what was going to happen to me."

"What happened while you were in the cave?" Egon asked as tried to curl up around himself, despite his pinned leg, as the coldness began to gnaw away at his core.

"I tried to stay near the entrance and away from the pitch blackness but I could hear the voices of the men yelling at the campsite, and I could hear them getting closer. I figured they must've seen my foot prints in the snow and were trying to find me so I can into the cave as deep as I could go, tripping over rocks and holes, the icy walls and floors hurting my hands and feet the more I moved. I had to force myself to keep walking into the darkness until I couldn't hear the men anymore and that's when I heard a high-pitched squeak."

"Bats." Egon stated coldly.

"Turns out I disturbed them during their hibernation and didn't appreciate it. I couldn't see them but I could hear them screeching and flapping all around me and I could feel them brushing up against my skin and buzzing through my hair. I screamed and I ran through the blackness until I tripped and fell onto the cave floor. I couldn't get up, I was too scared! I just laid on the floor and cried in the darkness while the swarm of bats tormented me all through the night..."

"I'm sorry you had to suffer like that Peter." Egon had to fight against the cold to keep his voice steady and sound as normal as possible. "Had I known I wouldn't have asked you to come inside the mine with me."

"It's not your fault Spengz," Peter tried to sound reassuring but the painful memory had shaken him unexpectedly. "it's not like I told you this once before. I hadn't told anyone before. Not even the park ranger who found me the next morning."

"The men who were looking for your father never found you. That's good, isn't it?"

"Yeah, turns out they were part of some mob type of deal and my father stole money from them. If they found my father they would've killed him. If they found me they would've used me as ransom and when my father wouldn't pay his debt they would've killed me later."

"Why is it your father was able to maintain custody? Shouldn't you have been placed in foster care?"

"I would've if I had told the park ranger the truth. But I didn't. I lied. I guess I needed to protect the only family I had left."

"What did you tell the authorities?"

"That I had run away from home and my father was looking for me. That it was my fault I ended up lost and freezing the forest. I suffered from frostbite on my fingers and toes but no permanent damage. I was released from the hospital and my father, the conman he was, played along with my story like a pro. I think the proudest he had ever been of me is when I lied to the police to save his sorry..." Peter trailed off as a sob welled up in his throat and stole his words.

"Peter, you were trying to protect him." Egon soothed compassionately. "Any child would have done the same thing to protect a parent."

"If I had just told the truth then maybe I would've had a better childhood and my father would've finally been forced to own up his mistakes. I often wonder how my like would've been had someone else raised me. Maybe I could finally know what it's like to be truly, sincerely happy..."

Shaking his head sadly Peter hated himself for sounding so weak and ungrateful.

"Sorry Spengz. I didn't mean to throw my baggage onto your shoulders."

"Peter..." Egon guiltily looked away from the silhouette of his friend and stared at the dark floor around him. Hearing Peter's plight made Egon think of his own less than perfect childhood. A lonely, empty childhood littered with unfulfilled dreams and an overwhelming sense of disappointment. "You're not the only one who ponders the very same question..."

The exposed empathy in Egon's voice caught Peter off guard. If anyone was more private and emotionally reserved than Peter Venkman, it was Egon Spengler. To hear such a compassionate tone that carried such a kind volume seemed almost foreign to the trained psychologist. Egon, like Peter, wasn't oblivious to the emotions and plight of the people around him, he just chose to not ask about such issues as a means of keeping a professional outlook as well as respecting the privacy of others. For him to be willing to open just as Peter had done had given Peter a sense of dread.

Perhaps the reason to the two men were finally able to set aside their pride and composed nature was being pressed on by impending doom.

Just as Peter was about to ask Egon about his statement a sudden shift in the ground made him freeze in place. His eyes had adjusted to the deep darkness enough to identify Egon's silhouette amongst the other black laden shapes that he could see his friend was also sitting perfectly still.

"Peter..." Egon whispered softly. "there's going to be another collapse. You must find a way to escape."

Peter bit his lip to keep himself from shouting in response and accidentally setting off the imminent collapse early. "I'm not leaving you behind."

"You must." Egon pulled his shaking hands away from his cold arms and tried again to lift the lumber from his pinned leg. "I cannot move. Even if we were able to remove the offending obstacle from leg the bones are still broken and I will not be able to walk. You must be the one to leave and find help."

"No." Peter refused without hesitation. "We either go together or not at all."

"Your decision is commendable but illogical." Egon lamented as earth began to rain down from the ceiling of the cracked mine. Fissures began to snake from the massive crack as the destabilized mine continued to crumble downward. "Please Peter, you must escape while you still can."

"I'm not going anywhere." Peter again defied as he tried and failed to push the heavy lumber from his pinned shoulder. The lumber shifted only slightly causing the soil on the ground to churn beneath the weight. "If I can just move this over-"

"Sh!" Egon cautioned as earth rained down heavier a distance groaning sound echoed through the mine. "Try to move slower..." He whispered and kept his eyes on the ceiling. "the mine is going to come down and we're going to be buried alive if we don't find a way to escape."

"Right..." Peter shifted his position as he tried to slowly and steadily remove the lumber from his shoulder. As he carefully moved around in his very limited space he felt his boot brush against the large rock again and an idea came to mind. "Egon, if I can push this rock under the edge of the board on your leg I think I can give you enough leverage to pull your leg free."

"It's plausible. But move slowly." Egon shuddered as the chilly air again cut into his skin. Putting both hands under the cumbersome beam of aged wood Egon prepared to lift in time as Peter began to wedge the rock beneath the beam. "Go."

"Okay, we can do this..." Peter used his boot to push the rock along the ground until he felt it bump into the end of the beam. With a control force he pushed the rock beneath the board and proceeded to push it along the ground slowly. The rock easily supported the weight of the board and centimeter by centimeter eased the burdening pressure from Egon's broken leg. "You okay?"

"Stop!" Egon managed to contain his yelp of pain as the altering weight sent bolts of sheered agony through his damaged limb. "...Just... Just give me a minute."

"It'll be okay Spengz," Peter calmed his friend instinctively. "just take a few breaths and tell me when you're ready."

* * *

Winston expertly navigated Ecto-1 through the trees and winding paths of the forest as he and Ray honed in the tracking device installed inside the cab of Ecto-2. A cloud of disturbed earth wafted through the trees like a smoke signal to guide the two men as they searched for their missing colleagues.

"See that?" Winston asked as the wisping dust cloud became illuminated in the headlights of the hearse. "That isn't from a campfire."

Ray looked away from the transceiver and peered through the dust cloud. "What is that? Looks like fog."

"It's a dust cloud." Winston answered firmly. "It happens when there's a massive disturbance in the ground. Like a landslide or earthquake."

Ray's eyes widened as he caught sight of the massive hillside that housed the very mine where Peter and Egon were currently trapped. "...or a cave-in!"

Winston's heart skipped a beat as realized that they were dangerously close to an old mine and that the transceiver had led them right to it. Seeing the pick-up truck parked near the entryway to the mine only justified his fear as he and Ray neared sight of the recent collapse.

"That mine was abandoned before the 19th century." Winston stated as he parked the hearse next to the truck they had been tracking. "The miners had dug so deeply and so quickly that the entire hillside was destabilized and there was a collapse that trapped half of the miners inside the deepest tunnels. "As old as that mine is I wouldn't be surprised it happened again. We better check it out!"

"Trapped them?" Ray's brow arched inquisitively as he and Winston exited the hearse. The headlights remained on to light their path as they approached the mine only to find the entrance of the mine partially obstructed by large wooden boards, stones and piles of dirt. "Winston, how many of the miners survived?"

Winston lowered his voice as if he was afraid he might offend someone as he spoke. "None. The trapped miners perished either from being crushed to death or suffocation because the mine was vacated in fear of a total collapse. By the time anyone returned it was too late and after the accident it was left abandoned because the miners who did return swore it was haunted."

"Haunted?" Ray's posture visibly stiffened with righteous worry. "There's no way they'd be able to pass by the mine without checking it out. They must be inside!"

"And if they are-" Winston jumped back and stared in awe as the mine began to collapse as a powerful rock slide began to roll down the hillside.

"No!"

The mine became enveloped in a large, thick cloud of swirling dirt and the earth began to shake as large stones began to roll down the hillside. The sound of snapping lumber filled the air as the interior of the mine began to fall to pieces. Once the movement stopped and the sound of the commotion quieted Winston raced over to the barred entryway and began pulling back on the largest of stones.

"Come on Ray! We need to get them out of there!"

"No foolin'!" Ray sprinted over to the mine right beside Winston and began to heft aside the obstructions to gain entrance to the mine. "I hope they're alright!"

The exterior collapse had ended but as a result of the chaos outside of the mine the interior of the mine had become critically unstable and was slowly, but surely collapsing in on itself beneath the wall of hindering debris and stone.

* * *

Peter winced in pain as the pressure on his shoulder reached a nearly unbearably, horrific weight. He could feel the heavy lumber pressing down so firmly into his shoulder that the skin had been cut, the muscles strained and the bone being steadily crushed beneath the intense weight. Egon coughed as he forced himself to breathe through the dusty air and continue to try and pull his leg free.

"Almost there!" Egon called out to Peter in an attempt to encourage his friend to hold on a little longer. "I can pull my leg free soon, just a little further!"

"...Okay... Okay!" Peter fought through his pain and forced himself to continue to push the rock under the heavy lumber that pinned Egon's leg. "We can do this!"

As the rock wedged itself further under the board Egon slowly pulled his broken leg free of the crushing weight and fell back onto his elbows on the ground of the mine. In debilitating pain and exhausted he leaned back and panted through his intense discomfort.

"Peter... My leg is free..."

The mind began to rumble as the interior began to shake violently and force stones and broken beams to crash all around the two men. The heavy board that pinned Peter's shoulder bore down against him as a large rock hammered the lumber downward and caused the psychologist to yell out in pain.

"Peter!" Egon shifted his weight so he could take a knee and drag himself over to where he heard his friend cry out. "Peter, talk to me!"

"Egon!" Peter yelled in response as he watched the dark ceiling falling down on their forms at an alarming rate. "Get down!"

Thinking quickly Egon pressed his body up against the wall of the mine next to Peter and ducked down. Poorly curling his broken leg up against himself and away from the falling rocks and timber he put his hands and arms over his head to protect himself.

As the collapse came to an end the dusty air choked Egon but his still managed to find his voice. "Peter? Peter can you hear me?"

Peter heard Egon but didn't answer him as a weak cough escaped his lips. The sickly sweet metallic taste of blood filled his mouth and turned his stomach.

"Peter?" Egon tried again as he reached a hand out over the cold rocks and jagged wooden boards until he found Peter's pinned shoulder. "Peter, please talk to me."

"...Spengz?" Peter's voice was hushed whisper. He licked the blood from his lips as he spoke.

"Yes Peter, it's me. Please talk to me." His hand moved from Peter's shoulder up to his neck to check for a pulse before carefully sliding down his ribcage to check for cardiac distress. "Talk to me Peter."

"Spengz," A forced but sincere smile parted his bloodied lips as he looked at his friend's face in the dim lighting of the interior of the mine. "I should've listened to you. I should've left when you told me to... Think I'd know that by now, huh?"

"Peter," Egon's heart grew cold as the sound of the defeat in Peter's voice frightened him to his core. It frightened him more than any ghost or demon ever could. "please don't give up now. Talk to me."

"I..." Peter coughed lightly as a small trickle of fresh blood rolled down his chin. "I don't know what to say... Weird, isn't it?"

"Then... Then just listen!" Egon pleaded as he refused to let his friend give up and die. "Listen to me Peter, hold on! Please!"

"...'m trying..." Peter coughed again and that's when Egon felt the second piece of lumber that had fallen and pinned Peter down. The second wooden board was pressing on his ribs and making it difficult to breathe. "...what do you want... to talk about?"

Egon pushed aside the offending wooden board and pressed his hand down on Peter's chest to support his friend as he took in a deep, pained breath and coughed again. Peter's ribs weren't broken but his lung had surely collapsed from the impact of the fallen debris, and without a doubt he was beginning to hemorrhage internally.

"You said you wondered how your life could've turned out if your father wasn't such a negative influence," Egon spoke firmly and loudly to keep Peter's attention and keep him alert. "and I told you've wondered the very same question. Peter, you gave me the honor of confiding your past to me and I want to do the same. But please, stay awake. I know help is on the way."

"Sure Spengz..." Peter's eyes glazed over slightly but they remained open. "I trust you."

* * *

 

Ray and Winston hurried to remove the large stones and broken beams that obstructed the singular entrance to the mine, certain their friends were inside and now trapped as a result of the catastrophic collapse. Working together the men managed to heft aside heavy rocks, push aside the cumbersome wooden beams and roll the largest of the stones to the side of the mine. The exterior of the entryway was clear but now the interior tunnel was barred with just as many rocks and fallen beams.

"This is going to take too long!" Ray huffed as he wiped sweat from his brow onto the hem of his white t-shirt. "If we don't make some real progress they could suffocate down there!"

"You may be right..." Winston took in a few deep breaths as he stared at the mess inside the entryway. Picking up a dropped piece of lumber he used it to poke a wide hole in between the rocks and create a small opening between the outside and the inside of the mine. "So let's focus on getting them an air pocket."

Ray nodded and began clawing at the stones around the small opening to widen it a little further. "Hey guys! Peter! Egon!" He shouted into the hole hoping his voice would carry but wouldn't cause any further collapses. "If you can hear us we're on our way!"

* * *

Egon moved as close to Peter as he could to not only to stay beside his good friend, but to monitor his current condition. It was difficult for Egon to accurately determine the severity of Peter's injuries in the darkness, and his limited mobility and lack of resources only hindered his efforts further. Keep one hand on Peter's pinned shoulder to try and supply some form of comfort to an otherwise aching joint.

"Peter, stay awake." Egon urged sternly. "If you were willing to confide such a traumatic event with me then I wish to return the favor. You said you trust me," Egon stated as he focused on keeping his voice level. "and I wish to demonstrate that I trust you as well."

"...you don't have to." Peter sounded tired but at least he was responding. "I know that there's... an unspoken bond... between us. Like... a brother."

Egon shook his head and took in a deep breath. "Peter, please don't speak like that. We're going to make it out of here."

"...yeah. Sure."

"Listen to me Peter," Egon nearly pleaded as he struggled to keep his emotions in check. "I promise you that in all the time we've known each other, in all the time we spent at school, as colleagues, as friends and as Ghostbusters, I have never once lied to you. I've never lied to you, Ray, Winston or Janine. So when I tell you that we're going to make it out of this mine I can assure you that I'm speaking with absolute confidence and not merely trying to provide false comfort."

"I believe the term... you're looking for... is... blowing smoke." Peter flashed his trademarked cheesy grin. "But I won't... tell you where!"

Egon couldn't help but smile a little. Only Peter Venkman could find a way to crack a joke while potentially facing death.

"You told me that your father was an unreliable conman. Someone who would take advantage of a person's good nature and faith merely to benefit himself in even the most minuscule manner." Egon could feel Peter's shoulder tense up at the mention of his father. Continuing his statement Egon mentally readied himself as he prepared himself to reveal a long kept personal secret and pain that he had tried to keep locked away inside the darkest depths of his own heart. "My own father wasn't much better."

Peter couldn't stop his brow from furrowing as Egon's words slowly sank in. "You too?"

"Yes." Egon sighed and his shoulders sagged as he finally admitted to the pain his father had unintentionally inflicted on him as a child. "Growing up my brother and I were held to very high standards. While Elon was brave enough to defy our father and chose to follow his own path, I was too afraid to upset our father and incur punishment."

"I..." Peter was trying to offer Egon the same sympathy that his friend and had previously provided, but he was struggling to find the right words. Eon rarely spoke of his identical twin brother, only acknowledging his sibling when legally necessary. "I know you and... Elon weren't close... is your father the... reason why?"

"Yes." Egon's tone was low but steady as he spoke. "Mother made life with father bearable but even she was afraid of disappointing him. Secretly she encouraged Elon to pursue his passion for art and for nature. She had done the same for me when I favored the science of physics over medicine. When we were sixteen Elon decided to pursue his career in art and as a result my father decided that he would bring insolence to the Spengler family name and disowned him as a son."

"He..." Peter was shocked by the revelation. "Your father disowned... your brother?"

"Elon left our home and moved in with a friend across town. I rarely saw him after that, only during school hours." Egon cleared his throat nervously. "Elon tried to encourage me to rebel, but I was too afraid to join him. At least until I met you at college and you told me to switch my major from medicine to physics. That's when our relationship, as weak as it already was, had been destroyed entirely." He felt his hands clenching into fists as he spoke and he forced himself to relax. "I don't regret focusing my studies onto a subject that I truly enjoyed, but I do wish I had been able to reason with my father and make him understand that by following my own dreams, that Elon following his dreams, meant no disrespect to him or to the family."

"Growing up did he-" Peter choked on a dry cough and felt Egon's hand press down harder against his shoulder. "Did he take... out his anger... on you?"

"Father?" Egon saw Peter slightly nod his head. "Only in a passive aggressive manner. My father never struck me, Elon or our mother, but his ability to withhold all emotion and put up a cold wall of superiority was enough to keep me grounded. It seemed no matter how well I performed in school it wasn't good enough for my father. Mother was proud and always made Elon and myself feel loved, but father refused to acknowledge any form of emotion. I apparently inherited his cold exterior."

"No..." Peter disagreed. "you're not cold. You're reserved... big difference!"

"I'd like to believe that."

"Then... do it." Peter argued boldly. "You're not... your father. You care about... other people. You don't... push anyone to... do something they... don't want to... do."

"I pushed you in here, didn't I?" Egon's eyes closed and he bowed his head in shame. "I'm so sorry."

"No!" Peter coughed harshly as he fought to speak. The dusty air ached his lungs and the pressure on his chest wasn't helping. Unable to speak any further he let out a pitiful gasping sound as he slowly lost consciousness.

"Peter? Peter!" Egon moved his hand up to Peter's neck again and felt the man's pulse slowing, as well as his head dropping down as his body went limp. Egon put his hand under Peter's chin and lifted his head back up slightly. "Peter, please wake up!"

* * *

Winston used all of his strength to push aside a massive beam with his shoulder. As the beam slowly, but surely was shoved aside several rocks were wedged loose and rolled out of the way allowing the hole to widen to a much large size.

"I can see inside," Winston peered inside the dark tunnel and leaned back. "barely."

"Can you see them?" Ray asked as he clumsily balanced on the rocks next to Winston.

"No."

"Can you slip inside?"

"Yeah, I think so." Crouching down Winston ducked under the beam over the entryway to the mine and tentatively found his footing on the unstable rocks inside the tunnel. "I can't see too far ahead, can you get a light out of the car?'

"Yeah, I'm on it!" Ray raced back to Ecto-1 and pulled open the rear compartment door where all of their equipment was stored.

"Peter? Egon?" Winston spoke loudly without actually shouting. "If you can hear us we're going to find you, just hold on a little longer."

* * *

Egon forced himself to kneel on his injured leg in order to place himself directly in front of Peter. The large beam that pinned Peter's shoulder was angled downward and wedged from one side of the tunnel to the other, Peter of course being pinned down against the wall as a result. A second large beam had fallen over Peter but it didn't crush him, rather it just formed a barricade that would make moving the first beam all the more challenging.

"Wake up. Peter." Egon patted the side of Peter's face a few times to rouse his friend. "You must wake up. If you stay asleep then-"

A moan from the depths of the mine made Egon freeze midsentence. The high pitched screech of his the PKE meter, the invaluable tool he dropped during the collapse, had detected a paranormal presence skulking about the mine.

"Peter," Egon slowly turned his head and focused on the source of the sound concealed behind a wall of fallen debris. Both ends of the tunnel were blocked by large rocks, timber and loosened earth. For anyone to still be moving about in the depths of the tunnels was an impossible feat, at least it would be for a mortal creature. "we're not alone..."

The moaning grew louder as a heaviness filled the air with a malevolent presence. The screech of the PKE meter sounded off constantly and a faint glow escaped the small display despite the layers of earth that had partially buried it. Not wanting to leave Peter unguarded Egon didn't budge from where he knelt, despite being completely unable to defend his friend or even himself in that moment.

"Peter," Egon lessened his grip on Peter's chin and let his friend's head droop down at a gentle pace. "something is inside the mine with us."

A weak cough preluded a questioning whisper from Peter. "Friend... or foe?"

"Unknown."

Egon slowly reached a hand out toward the glowing mass in the dirt just a few feet from where he and Peter were sitting idle. As he stretched his arm out the moaning became louder and louder, the unseen wailing voices stepping closer to the defenseless Ghostbusters.

Unable to reach the meter from where he sat Egon had no choice but to lean forward until he was laying on his chest on the ground in order to stretch his arm and hand far enough to grab onto the handle. "Got it..."

"Now... what?"

Awkwardly Egon retracted his reach and attempted to resume his recent posture only to flinch outward at the sharp burning pain in his leg. Stifling a yelp of pain Egon managed to sit back and focus on the meter in his hand. Using his thumb Egon wiped the display clean of the dirt and eyed the high reading that the meter had recorded.

"Peter..." Egon's voice was low, almost a whisper. "there are three very large paranormal entities encroaching on our location."

The moaning reached a deep and mournful pitch as the wandering trio pushed itself through the debris with little difficulty. The solid masses failed to to provide even the slightest resistance to the powerful ghosts as they marched closer to the two vulnerable, very mortal men.

"What do... we do?"

"I..." Egon sighed and his eyes became full of ripe emotion as he spoke. "I don't know." His confession sounded as pitiful as the two men currently felt as they remained trapped and injured in the darkness. "We aren't properly equipped and neither of us can escape."

Peter lifted his head very slightly and stared at the blockade that obstructed the interior tunnels of the mine. "At least we... aren't going to... die alone..."

A wash of ethereal energy emerged from the blockade as the three humanoid figured encroached on the two Ghostbusters. The trio of ghosts seemed to sense that the two men were paranormal investigators and eliminators and took an immediately hostile attitude toward them. Stepping closer and closer the trio moaned, hissed and stared with putrid anger at their helpless prey.

The three ghosts were of miners who had long since perished in the mine almost two hundred years prior. Ancient wounds and scars were still visible on their translucent bodies. Wielding pick axes and a shovel the three miners were filled with rage and a desire to avenge their own untimely deaths, even if it meant directing their misplaced anger on two innocent men who wandered into the mine our of sheer scientific curiosity.

Unblinking, unflinching, the two men sat in silence and awaited their fate.

As a ghostly hand reached out to touch Egon's face a beam of bright artificial light shone through the darkness and forced the ghost backward.

Egon turned to look over his shoulder, shielding his eyes from the light with his arm, and saw two shadowy figures climbing over the fallen debris and into the mine.

"Peter! Egon!" Ray shouted as he and Winston clambered inside the mine.

"Ray!" Egon responded loudly. "Get Peter out of here!"

Peter smiled very weakly before letting his drop back down as total unconsciousness stole his mind and enveloped it in a darkness that was as thick as the blackness of the mine itself.

Winston saw the three ghosts being held at bay with the intensity of the flashlight beams and reacted quickly. "I'll go get a trap! Ray, keep the light on the ghosts they don't like it!"

"Hurry!" Ray ushered as he positioned himself between his friends and the ghosts. "What's wrong with Peter?"

"He has been pinned under debris for almost an hour." Egon returned his attention to his trapped friend. "He's been having difficulty breathing and I'm worried about a potential internal hemorrhage."

"We'll get him out, don't worry." Ray glanced down at Egon while keeping the flashlight beam trained forward. "Are you hurt?"

"My leg. It's broken."

Winston rushed back into the mine with three traps at his disposal. One trap was draped over his shoulder by the long black cable, while the other two were tightly gripped in his hands. "Trap out! Watch your eyes!"

Ray and Egon closed their eyes while Winston slid the three traps out along the dirt and rock cover ground toward the menacing trio. The three miner ghosts brandished their tools like weapons, hoisting the threatening objects over their heads as they hissed bitterly.

"Trap open!" Winston yelled as he stomped down on the three release triggers one at a time in quick succession.

The three traps burst open with beams of white ionized light that easily engulfed the three ghosts and pulled them down into the small portable prisons. The rapid commotion and sound of the bust had been strong enough to shake the mine to cause the walls and ceiling to crumble further. A total collapse was imminent.

"Got 'em!" Winston stomped on the triggers once again and sealed the traps. Pulling the traps back by the cables he proceeded to toss them through the opening that he and Ray had created as a means of accessing the mine in general. Pointing to Egon and Peter he turned his full attention to his friends. "Now let's get them!"

Ray pointed the flashlight at Peter and felt his heart skip a beat once he saw how pale his friend's pallor had become. "Oh man, we better get him out of here now!"

Egon moved his hand to Peter's neck, the flesh beneath his touch was cold and made him feel sick. "We'll have to move the beam from his shoulder before we can move him at all."

Winston studied the beam; noting its size, possible weight and the angle in which it had wedged itself against Peter's shoulder and upward toward the ceiling. "If we move it the whole tunnel will collapse."

Ray looked over to Winston nervously. "So how do we do this?"

Winston took a moment to think before responding. "First we get Egon out of here, then we-"

"No." Egon refused adamantly. "Peter is the priority."

"Yes he is." Winston agreed as stepped over to Egon. "But I can see, even in this darkness, that your leg is in bad shape. If you can't move and the mine collapses then we're going to lose you. I won't let that happen."

Ray nodded as grabbed onto Egon's arm and pulled him up slightly from the ground. Before Egon could protest any further Winston had stooped down and lifted Egon up and over his shoulder in a single swift gesture. "I'll stay with Peter." Ray stated calmly as he took a knee beside the unconscious psychologist. "We'll get the beam off of him and make a break for it."

Egon wanted to fight free from Winston's grip but knew it would be as illogical as it was dangerous. Reluctantly he allowed Winston to carry him out of the mine, clumsily maneuvering over the large rocks and fallen beams to make his way back through the opening to safety.

Winston carried Egon over to the pick up truck and helped Egon to sit down on the rear bumper. "Hang tight, I'll be right back with Peter."

"I know you will." Egon didn't know what else to say, if anything at all. The courageous marine was always calm and collected in an emergency situation, there was no reason to doubt Winston's ability to find a way to escape the mine in tact. "Be careful."

Winston made his way back into the mine and joined Ray at Peter's side. "How is he?"

Ray took his hand from Peter's neck after checking his pulse and put it against the offending beam that had kept Peter trapped for so long. "He's alive but he's weak. It's like he can't catch his breath and I don't want to do anything that'll make is worse."

"Well Egon's safe now, so we can focus entirely on him." Winston grabbed onto the second beam that was draped over near Peter's chest and hoisted it up into the air with little difficulty. "Once we move that bigger beam the walls are going to come down on us, and if we aren't fast enough we'll get buried. Are you ready to move?"

"Do I have a choice?" Ray responded somewhat dryly as he positioned himself beside Peter up against the tunnel wall. "There's no way I'm leaving you two behind."

"Never had a doubt in my mind." Setting aside the lesser of the two beams, careful to set it down where it wouldn't get in their way when they needed to move, Winston took a firm grip on the primary beam and looked down at Peter's shoulder. "I'll lift the beam up and try to slide it away just enough for you to pull Peter free. But once the beam is moved the tunnel will become unstable. We can't make an unnecessary moves and we have to be quick."

Ray took Peter's free arm and draped it around his shoulders before wrapping his own arm around Peter's upper body. Ray braced himself and prepared to pull Peter away from the beam. "I'm ready when you are."

Ray shifted his weight in anticipation of hoisting Peter's limp body up from the floor, and ensuring that he could see the clearest possible path to the exit of the mine before it was too late. Winston took a deep breath as he tightened his grip on the solid wood beam that had pinned Peter down for so long, ready to move it at a very slow and controlled pace to keep the tunnel from immediately collapsing and to cause very little pain to Peter in the process of the cumbersome and elaborate escape plan.

"Ready." Ray stated firmly as he mentally steeled himself to make a run for it.

"Ready." Winston confirmed and he planted his feet firmly into the ground. "On the count of three:" Bracing his strong shoulders he began to gently, slowly lift up the beam and slide it to the side of Peter's shoulder. "One, two... three!"

The beam was lifted from Peter's shoulder and the ceiling of the tunnel began to crumble immediately. As it was shifted from its original position and placed just a few inches to the right of Peter's shoulder, still wedged against the wall and the ceiling, the tunnel groaned as it destabilized and began to collapse in on itself.

"Go!" Winston urged as he helped Ray to lift Peter up and took Peter's injured, but now freed, arm and wrapped it around his shoulders. "I got him!"

Ray and Winston worked together as they half carried, half dragged Peter out of the mine and toward the only exit as the thunderous collapse of the tunnel chased them every rushing step of the way!

Large portions of disturbed earth fell from the ceiling created a downfall of dirt and stones. The remaining wooden boards that had buttressed the tunnel for long had finally snapped from pressure showering the fleeing men in a burst of tiny splinters and rusted nails.

Scrambling over larger stones and pushing their bodies through the singular opening to the mine the three men managed to escape the tunnel just seconds before it collapsed entirely under its own massive weight.

Falling to their knees on the grassy terrain outside the mine Ray and Winston carefully laid Peter down on the grass onto his back and studied his current condition. From the bumper of Ecto-2, unable to walk and barely able to see, Egon could only watch as Winston unzipped Peter's jumpsuit and peeled back the fabric to examine his shoulder and upper chest.

"How is he?" Egon asked as Ray walked over to him so he could see the damage to Egon's leg.

"Well, he's alive, and that's what really matters." Ray replied firmly before gently placing a hand to the side of Egon's injured, bleeding leg.

As soon as Egon flinched and attempted to retract his damaged limb from Ray's touch he knew that the bones had been broken. As he flinched he dropped the PKE meter that had been recording the paranormal events surrounding the mine, causing the meter to turn itself off upon impact with the ground.

"Hurts that bad, huh?"

"The pain is excruciating." Egon admitted as he breathed slowly in an attempt to ease the pain. "But right now Peter is more important."

"Winston will take care of him," Ray reminded the worried physicist. "let me help you."

The damage to Peter's shoulder wasn't as serious as they had feared. A deep painful bruise had formed on his skin and surely went deeper into the muscle and bones beneath. It had been dislocated by the sheer force of the lumber pinning him down but it wouldn't require any surgery to remedy. Just like his shoulder a bruise was forming on his upper chest but it wasn't as large or as deep.

"He's bruised up pretty badly." Winston shouted to his friends as he put his hand under Peter's shoulders and lifted him up into a sitting position. Taking Peter's good arm he wrapped it around his own shoulders and hefted the unconscious man up to his feet. "But he's breathing okay and I don't see any sign of internal injuries."

Egon let out a deep sigh of relief and his shoulders sagged as the relief washed over him.

"Ray help me lay Peter down in the back of Ecto-1. Then we'll come back for you Egon." Winston stated as he carried his friend over to the parked hearse.

Ray gave Egon a reassuring glance before joining Winston at the hearse. Opening the rear passenger door Winston was able to lay Peter down across the backseats very carefully.

"Egon will need to keep his leg stretched out to keep the bones steady." Ray informed Winston as he moved equipment around in the back to make space for Egon.

"Is his leg broken?"

"Yeah."

"Bad?"

"Bad enough."

"Damn. Want to drive Ecto-1 or Ecto-2?"

"I'll bring in Ecto-2, you have more experience on driving back roads. You won't give them such a bumpy ride!" Ray joked lightly as he turned toward Egon, who was sitting on the bumper of the truck eager to return to the city. "Think you can pick him up again?"

"Only if he'll let me."

"I don't think he'll put up a fight." Ray arched his brow and put his hands on his hips. "But I do think he's going to be blaming himself for what happened in that mine for... ever."

"We know it was an accident!" Winston defended quickly. "That mine was going to collapse eventually, and we have a responsibility to the city to keep ever square inch of our jurisdiction properly patrolled. And he should know better than anyone else that Peter won't go anywhere or do anything unless it's his idea. He went into that mine under his own free will."

"I know that. I just hope Egon remembers that before he tears himself apart over something that was completely out of his control."

"Yeah." Winston started walking over to Ecto-2. "But only time will tell."

Egon noticed the dropped PKE meter on the grass near the rear of Ecto-1. Reaching down with minor difficulty he retrieved the damaged meter and attempted to turn it on, but the power was drained and the display screen had been cracked. Clipping it to his belt he reached out a hand as Winston approached him.

"Okay Egon," Winston took Egon's hand helped him to limp along the grass to Ecto-1. "your turn."

"Were you or Ray injured in the mine?"

"No, we made it out without a scratch."

"That's good." Egon awkwardly slipped into the back of the hearse and let Winston guide him down to the floor so he could keep his damaged leg as straight as possible. "I think it'd be best if we avoid all mines, caves and other underground structures during all future endeavors."

"You won't get an argument from me!" Winston joked as he and Ray double checked their friends to make sure they were in stable enough condition to be driven back to the city. "I'll have you two at the hospital before you know it. Sit tight."

The door shut and Egon watched Ray through the window walk over to the parked truck and start it up. Winston did the same as he took he seat behind the wheel in the hearse and let the engine roar to life.

Keeping one hand on Peter's arm Egon leaned back against the seat and watched the dusty ruins of the mine get steadily smaller through the rear compartment window as the hearse pulled away from the long forgotten, long neglected site of so much tragedy and pain.

"We're going to be okay Peter." Egon whispered lightly to his friend. "You're safe now."

* * *

Fortunately it didn't take long for Winston and Ray to rescue their colleagues and bring them to the nearest hospital. While Egon was getting his leg x-rayed, the two broken bones realigned and his leg set in a cast; Peter was having his shoulder and chest examined for internal trauma or any sign of injury that would require surgical intervention.

Egon was wheeled out into the waiting room, his freshly cast leg propped up and a pair of crutches resting across his lap. The nurse waved over Ray and Winston who happily helped Egon to get up from the wheelchair and balance properly on the crutches.

"How bad?" Winston asked as he kept a hand ready to catch Egon just in case he fell or lost balance.

"Two hairline fractures to the tibia and complete break to the fibula. I'll be on crutches for a minimum of six weeks, possibly eight depending on how well the fracture in the fibula knits." Nodding to his friends to assure them that he wasn't going to fall he changed the subject. "Any word on Peter?"

"I've gotta' couple words for ya'..." The three men turned their focus to the source of the voice and saw Peter himself walking slowly down the hall with a nurse escorting him by the arm. His other arm was resting in a blue sling to compensate for his injured shoulder and upper chest. "I'm tired."

"Peter." Egon was genuinely surprised to see his friend not only conscious but walking around without any difficulty. "You're alright."

"Yeah, I'm fine." Peter stopped and stood with his friends. The nurse stayed with the group but didn't say anything as she observed the two patients for any sign of further injury. "Dislocated shoulder. Popped it back into place, popped a few pain pills and now I'm ready for bed."

"I was certain that... You were having so much difficulty breathing." Egon stated in a confused manner.

"I just got the wind knocked out of me. I've got a really pretty purple bruise on my side thanks to that blow to my chest, but nothing broken."

"That's good. I thought you... well... you know."

Peter nodded once and patted Egon's arm with his good hand. "Are we ready to head back yet? I need a sandwich and a looooooong nap."

"Yeah, let's go home."

Ray stayed at Egon's side while Winston walked beside Peter as they guided their friends through the hospital and back outside to the parking lot.

* * *

Ray and Winston took it upon themselves to help their friends with their recovery process. Working in tandem they helped Egon ascend the staircase of the firehouse to the second floor and reach the bunk room to rest. Peter followed sleepily behind and quickly plopped down onto his side on his bed as exhaustion won out.

"You guys need anything?" Winston asked before he and Ray left the bunk room.

"No. Thank you Winston." Egon replied politely as he set his crutches down on the floor beside his bed before laying down flat to rest.

"Peter?"

Peter was barely awake. His answered was a garbled mutter of a word that sounded very close to 'no'.

"Okay, we'll be downstairs taking care of that PKE meter and getting the data for you." Winston motioned with his thumb over his shoulder as he back out of the room. "Yell if you do need anything."

Ray followed behind Winston, the damaged PKE meter was resting in his skilled hands. "Won't take too long to repair. Luckily we have plenty of spare parts."

Sensing that he and Egon were alone Peter rolled from his side to his back and sat upright. "Hey Spengz, you still awake?"

"Yes." Egon sat up as well and looked at his friend who sitting in the bed directly across from his own. "Do you need something? Are you in pain?"

"No." Peter subconsciously rubbed at his shoulder after being asked. "I just wanted to say thanks for staying with me."

"Of course. You are my friend."

"And thanks for... well, listening to me." Peter looked away quickly as he was still unable to maintain eye contact with anyone when talking about his past. "You're the first one I've ever told that story to, and you didn't judge me for it or try to tell me to 'let it go', that I should forgive my father and move on. You just listened. Thank you."

"For what it's worth, Peter," Egon was also grateful for Peter for listening to his own tragic childhood story. "thank you for doing the same. I know that you're a very curious person by nature and had on numerous occasions tried to pry into my personal life, so for you to stop seeking such personal information and to show me enough respect to back away speaks volumes of your own character; especially when compared to your father."

"Same to you, Spengz." Peter smiled a little before laying back down on the bed and closing your eyes. "You're a better man than your father, even if your Ph.D. is in physics and not medicine."

"Thank you Peter." Egon took off his glasses and laid back against the soft pillow on his bed. "And from now on we avoid exploring abandoned mines.

"Best idea you've ever had!"

Free of the mine and free of the crushing weight of their own burdening pasts, the two Ghostbusters had found a new appreciation for not only their lives and all of the success they had found, but for the people in their lives and how the people helped shape their lives for the better.

_**-The End** _


End file.
